Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges Near Florence, SC

Updated September 6, 2026 On this page

Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > South Carolina > Florence

Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Florence offer fully online programs and report both credit for military training and a dedicated point of contact for veterans, servicemembers, and their families (IPEDS IC 2024); 5 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is Shaw AFB, about 42 miles away, and 8 installations sit within 100 miles (3 Army, 1 Navy, 3 Air Force, 1 National Guard). None of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is University of South Carolina-Columbia in Columbia, SC, about 72 miles away. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Carolinas College of Health Sciences. Florence has a population of about 40,205 and a median household income of $56,433; 29.9 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).

Military-friendly online colleges near Florence

Schools based in South Carolina that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Florence city center, with BOC Score on each card. The tags on each card are the school’s own IPEDS answers for the four military services. The distance table further down covers the nearest qualifying schools regardless of state line.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Florence. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Francis Marion University

Florence, SC 7.6 miles from Florence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Credit for military training
  • Dedicated military contact
  • DoD MOU member
44.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,888
Avg net price $11,386/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)

School Location Credit for military training Dedicated military contact DoD MOU member Student veteran org BOC Score Distance
Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte, NC Yes Yes Yes No 83.9 95 mi
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC Yes Yes No No 79.6 99 mi
Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC Yes Yes Yes Yes 77.1 96 mi
University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC Yes Yes Yes Yes 74.1 72 mi
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 72.0 95 mi
College of Charleston Charleston, SC Yes Yes Yes Yes 65.2 97 mi
Central Carolina Community College Sanford, NC Yes Yes Yes No 60.6 97 mi
Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, NC Yes Yes Yes No 58.9 75 mi
Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC Yes Yes Yes Yes 55.1 92 mi
Brunswick Community College Bolivia, NC Yes Yes No Yes 54.3 89 mi

South Carolina has 38 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the South Carolina page lists them all.

Military installations near Florence

Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) Branch (from the name) Distance from Florence
Shaw AFB Air Force 42 mi
Fort Jackson Army 60 mi
McEntire Joint National Guard Base National Guard 61 mi
Camp Mackall Army 61 mi
Naval Weapons Station Charleston (Short Stay) Navy 65 mi
Fort Bragg Army 76 mi
Pope AFB Air Force 81 mi
North Air Force Auxiliary Fld Air Force 84 mi

Common post-service careers near Florence

Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Florence, SC metro area where BLS publishes it.

Occupation Median annual wage Scope Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100)
Logisticians $75,240 Florence, SC metro $86,682
Emergency Management Directors $93,680 SC statewide $107,926
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers $48,710 Florence, SC metro $56,118
Medical and Health Services Managers $118,750 Florence, SC metro $136,809
Project Management Specialists $87,400 Florence, SC metro $100,691
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $75,190 Florence, SC metro $86,624
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $106,860 Florence, SC metro $123,111

BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; rows marked with the metro name are metro medians, the rest are statewide.

Campuses within 30 miles of Florence

None of the 10 schools in the table has a campus within 30 miles of Florence; the nearest is University of South Carolina-Columbia at 72 miles.

Nearby cities

Benefit eligibility is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and your service’s education office. Nothing on this page guarantees education benefits, credit transfer, admission, or a particular cost. Confirm every detail with the school’s military or veteran services office before you enroll.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024): veteran and military services indicators (VET2 through VET5), distance-education program flag (DISTPGS); BOC Score from College Scorecard and IPEDS outcome data; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 Military Installations layer (installation names as recorded there); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; Census ACS 5-year estimates. Directory counts as of the September 2026 refresh.